Railroad-cab seat



THOMAS & HICKOK.

Car Seat.

Patented Apr. 25, 1854.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

W. B. THOMAS AND S. HIGKOK, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

RAILROAD-CAR SEAT.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 10,837, dated April 25, 1854.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, WILLIAM B. THOMAS and SAMUEL HICKOK, of the city of Buffalo, county of Erie, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railroad- Car Seats; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

Our improvement consists in the construction of jointed or hinged legs for rail road car seats, so constructed and arranged that the bottom and back of the seat may be moved forward or backward, obtaining difierent degrees of inclination to the same and accommodate the erson occupying the seat, to an upright-sitt1ng or reclining posture.

To enable others to understand how to make and use our said invention we will describe its construction and operation.

IVe consider our invention to be an improvement in the mode of changing the position of the seat, upon the car seat patented to the said Samuel Hickok on the ninth day of August one thousand eight hundred and fifty-three and the improvements therein claimed by the said Samuel Hickok we herein disclaim.

In the accompanying drawings like letters refer to like parts of the seat in each of the figures.

The letter A refers to a movable, jointed or hinged leg or support for the bottom part of the seat. This leg resembles the letter S in form, and works upon a joint or hinge at its connection with the standards of the frame parts of the seat, as represented at the letter E, in Figures I, IV, and V. It is also connected with the bottom part of the seat by means of a joint or hinge as represented at the letter P in Fig. V. When the seat is in its proper position as a day seat, an end View of which is seen in Fig. II, and a cross sectional View in Fig. III, the joint of the leg at its connection with the front edge of the bottom part of the seat is behind a perpendicular line drawn through the joint of the lower end of the leg at its connection with the standard, and the joint of the leg at its connection with the back edge of the bottom part of the seat is forward of a perpendicular line drawn through the joint of the lower end of the vleg at its connection with the standard as represented in Fig.

III. Now when it is desired to change the position of the seat the ratchet bar L is loosened from its catch and H the bottom part of the seat is moved forward by means of the legs A swinging upon their jointsthe lower end of the leg at its connection with the standard turning upon its joint as a center, and the upper part moving with the bottom part of the seat and also turning upon its joint in the bottom part of the seat. This movement carries the front edge of the bottom part of the seat forward on nearly a horizontal line and a short distance past the perpendicular line, while the back edge recedes from its perpendicular line and is thereby slightly depressed as is represented in Fig. V. This gives sufficient inclination to the bottom part of the seat to prevent a person from slipping on the seat when at rest. This movement of the bottom on the jointed legs is much more convenient and easy, than where it slides in grooves. It also inclines the bottom so as to prevent sliding off. The back F may also be moved with the bottom and inclined as represented in Figs. I, IV, and V. The ratchet bars L will hold the bottom at any point desired between its extreme movement, and the seat may be brought into any desirable position so as to render it comfortable and easy to the traveler when rest or sleep is required. WVhen the direction of the car is reversed the position of the seat is correspondingly changed, and its operation becomes the same as before described. This leg may be made of wood or metal by any common or known process of manufacture and its form and dimensions varied to suit the taste and convenience of the manufacturer. The standards B which support the frame work of the seat, should be made in shape and figure to correspond to the leg, so as to preserve beauty and symmetry.

At M Fig. I is represented a cross sill, connecting the standards B and by which the seat is fastened to the floor. When the seat is moved to its fartherest position forward the bottom H will rest upon the cross timber K Fig. V. v

Fig. I is a perspective View of the whole seat in its position as a night seat, with the bottom moved to its fartherest position forward, and the back at its greatest inclination with the pillow N raised to supportthe head while the traveler enjoys sleep Fig. II is an end view of the seat in its posit-ion as a day seat. Fig. III is a cross sectional view as a day seat. Fig. IV is an end View in its position as a night seat. Fig. V is a cross sectional view as a night seat.

The various positions of the seat are easily and conveniently attained by the construction and operation of the jointed legs herein described. These various positions may be obtained by the person in the seat without rising therefrom, by raising the ratchet from its catch and pressing with the feet upon the floor. The seat may thus be moved forward or backward at pleasure. The construction and operation of this seat with the exception of the jointed legs herein and rest.

described is substantially the same as that described in the said patent granted to the said Samuel Hickok on the 9th day of 20 WM. B. THOMAS. SAML. HICKOK.

WVitnesses E. B. FoRBUsH VILLIAM COLEMAN. 

